Lane
Well-Known Member
So after seeing a picture of Faithy's RTCP soap, I was inspired...I tell ya people, it was the creamiest soap I had ever seen! So I started going through the thread about rebatching to see how everyone was doing it... This is how I did it and personally, I don't think I will ever make soap any other way!
I made my lye in the morning and let it cool about three hours, to about 82 degrees. Then I blended all of my oils and butters... I tried to "cream" them, but I use high amoutns of Shea Butter and Palm kernel flakes so it was really bumpy, I turned the oven to 200 and let it sit in there for about 2 mins, just to warm it a bit so the butter and flakes were softer. The oils were at 90 degrees when I added the lye. I blended with my stick blender and trace took about 4 minutes. My trace temp was about 87 degrees. I am use to working with really high temps in my CP (about 118) so I am use to working fast and checking temps constantly! I swear, not worry about my batch seizing from heat and not holding two thermometers made this process very relaxing!!
Right after I poured in the mold:
W/O thinking I layed the lid on my mold, and even tho air could still circulate, about 6 or seven hours, it had started to gel, and have slight ash. (but nothing like how my CP gels!)
The next morning I removed it from the mold, I wiped of the ash with a damp paper towel, it was a nice glossy color underneath. This is a picture of the top side of the loaf and the bottom side. (notice NO wrinkles in my soap!)
After I sliced it, notice the outter "shell" has changed color, my FO has vanilla in it, so exposure to the air made it darker, as the soap cures, the entire bar SHOULD go to a nice shade of brown...(And I didn't have a single bit of waste from any of my bars!)
I am a hard core 'gel' person, but I think after doing it like this, with only a mild gel, I am hooked!! The whole process took about 20 minutes less time AND the soap was WAY easier to work with. Only draw back, the soap was softer when I unmolded it, so I had to let it sit about 2 hours out of the mold before I cut it. Also, a little voice in my head is saying the saponification process isn't complete without a hot gel phase (actually that's my chemist sister talking...) But, I did a tounge test and no zap! The bar feels creamier too....
I made my lye in the morning and let it cool about three hours, to about 82 degrees. Then I blended all of my oils and butters... I tried to "cream" them, but I use high amoutns of Shea Butter and Palm kernel flakes so it was really bumpy, I turned the oven to 200 and let it sit in there for about 2 mins, just to warm it a bit so the butter and flakes were softer. The oils were at 90 degrees when I added the lye. I blended with my stick blender and trace took about 4 minutes. My trace temp was about 87 degrees. I am use to working with really high temps in my CP (about 118) so I am use to working fast and checking temps constantly! I swear, not worry about my batch seizing from heat and not holding two thermometers made this process very relaxing!!
Right after I poured in the mold:
W/O thinking I layed the lid on my mold, and even tho air could still circulate, about 6 or seven hours, it had started to gel, and have slight ash. (but nothing like how my CP gels!)
The next morning I removed it from the mold, I wiped of the ash with a damp paper towel, it was a nice glossy color underneath. This is a picture of the top side of the loaf and the bottom side. (notice NO wrinkles in my soap!)
After I sliced it, notice the outter "shell" has changed color, my FO has vanilla in it, so exposure to the air made it darker, as the soap cures, the entire bar SHOULD go to a nice shade of brown...(And I didn't have a single bit of waste from any of my bars!)
I am a hard core 'gel' person, but I think after doing it like this, with only a mild gel, I am hooked!! The whole process took about 20 minutes less time AND the soap was WAY easier to work with. Only draw back, the soap was softer when I unmolded it, so I had to let it sit about 2 hours out of the mold before I cut it. Also, a little voice in my head is saying the saponification process isn't complete without a hot gel phase (actually that's my chemist sister talking...) But, I did a tounge test and no zap! The bar feels creamier too....
